mudlark

[ muhd-lahrk ]

noun

1. Chiefly British. a person who gains a livelihood by searching for iron, coal, old ropes, etc., in mud or low tide.
2. Chiefly British Informal. a street urchin.
3. either of two black and white birds, Grallina cyanoleuca, of Australia, or G. bruijni, of New Guinea, that builds a large, mud nest.

verb (used without object)

1. to grub or play in mud.

mudlark

/ ˈmʌdˌlɑːk /

noun

1. slang.
   a street urchin
2. (formerly) one who made a living by picking up odds and ends in the mud of tidal rivers
3. slang.
   a racehorse that runs well on a wet or muddy course

Word History and Origins

Origin of mudlark¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; mud + lark ¹

Example Sentences

Lara Maiklem, author of “Mudlark: In Search of London’s Past Along the River Thames,” scours the shoreline for artifacts such as coins, tokens, buckles and potsherds, some dating to the period of Roman rule.

From Seattle Times

There has surely never been a mudlark like Nadal, a man with the physical strength, mental strength and clay-court nous to succeed on that most demanding of surfaces, year after year.

From The Guardian

Tidal charts are imperative — the river is fast and deep — as is a permit to mudlark, authorized by the Port of London Authority.

From New York Times

At her feet, pieces of clay tobacco pipes from the 16th and 17th century clinked as they washed against rocks, so common as to escape a mudlark’s interest.

From New York Times

The name — mudlark — was first given to the Victorian-era poor who scrounged for items in the river to sell, pulling copper scraps, rope and other valuables from the shore.

From New York Times